


Sought

by KibaSin



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale, Naruto
Genre: Abandoned Work - Unfinished and Discontinued, Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, Drama, F/M, Falling In Love, Family Drama, Friendship/Love, Mild Language, One-Sided Relationship, Romance, Under revision, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-07-20
Updated: 2013-07-20
Packaged: 2017-12-20 18:45:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 19,128
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/890604
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KibaSin/pseuds/KibaSin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A new kunoichi has arrived in Konoha and already she is beginning to have suitors flock to her. What she didn’t expect, though, was for the most talented shinobi to fight for her attentions. Who will Kagome choose, though? [Title placeholder until revision is done]</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Higurashi Kagome

**_Disclaimer:_ ** _I do not own Inuyasha, nor do I own Naruto. I just couldn’t get this idea out of my head until I started writing it!_

**_Pairing:_ ** _Kagome/Neji; some Kagome/Sasuke_

* * *

 

 **Note:** This is a piece that I started and abandoned before I ever posted it. So, enjoy. I might come back to it one day and rework it to my liking.

* * *

 

Since the time he’d mastered his jutsu he’d been able to see almost everything within the world around him. From a range of simple emotions and habits that others seemed to favor, to seeing the chakra flows, intertwined so strongly with the bodies vital organs. Using his Byakugan he saw more of the world than most people saw within a year, and it was almost tiring. Seeing the world the way he did, he barely ever saw anything new, but what he saw that day could be considered new. He saw something that struck a cord inside of him, even though he’d seen many women in his life, many, many different kunoichi. Even without his Byakugan he could feel the happiness radiating off the girl, her hand running through her hair as one of those stupid rookie genin continued to fire questions at her. He did not remember his name, simply that he continued to yell about how he was going to be Hokage one day.

Since the time he’d mastered his jutsu he’d never been able to see the chakra basically flowing off another shinobi—not during missions, not while training, not while doing anything unless his Byakugan was being used. He’d usually only see it coming off of powerful jounin, but never one as young as he was. Whoever this woman was, though, she radiated with chakra, and he watched as she bent down suddenly, her hands beginning to move in hand signs, before she pressed her hands to the ground. He turned his eyes away from what she was doing before it happened, though, merely turning his eyes to watch the girl more than anything else. He didn’t know how long he stood there, nor did he realize that others had gathered around the girl, both of them apart of the first boy’s squad.

Hyuuga Neji, born of one of the lesser branches inside the Hyuuga Clan, turned his emotionless eyes until they rested completely on this new girl on that day. He was only thirteen years of age, but he had seen many types of women before. Never one where he could see their emotions without having to use his Byakugan, though, for any shinobi usually tried to hide their emotions from others. Much like he, himself, did often, showing others only a face that caused most of them to turn their eyes from him and never look again.

Neji’s near colorless eyes blinked as he watched another shinobi step up behind the girl, a jounin from the look of him. The young woman looked to be around his age, wearing something much like he’d see TenTen wearing, with her headband wrapped around her arm, the symbol telling him that she was from their village, though he knew that he’d never seen her before. With the Byakugan the user saw a lot, and he’d never seen her, which meant she might have just arrived. Perhaps she was there for other reasons, but the way she was talking with that stupid brat he decided at that moment that she wasn’t worth his time, thus turned from her and began walking away.

“Neji, there you are,” came a female voice. “Lee and I have been looking all over for you. Where have you been, Gai-sensei’s been waiting forever?”

“Hm?” he replied. “Oh. Forgive me, I must have lost track of time.”

TenTen tilted her head to the side, frowning deeply. “That’s a first. I don’t think I’ve ever heard you say you were _distracted_ by anything.”

“Wow,” came from the distance, “that is amazing!” Though it was over the distance they turned their eyes to see Rock Lee, another member of their squad of three, kneeling down next to the girl near the gates. Even another jounin had joined them; one who’d covered his face for many years, his name, Hatake Kakashi. Even he was bent over to see whatever was before the kunoichi, obviously interested in whatever she was doing. “Simply amazing! I almost wish I could use the same type of jutsu! My own is enough for me, though!”

“Hey,” the one who was originally there shouted, turning to see the others, “when did you guys get here?”

“While you were too busy drooling over another member of our village, _dobe_ ,” a boy dressed in blue snapped. “You should start paying more attention, Naruto, before someone skips ahead of you and becomes Hokage themselves.”

The one named Naruto growled, “Sasuke-teme!”

“What do you want now, loser?” Sasuke asked.

TenTen smiled, watching as the girl picked herself off the ground, brushing her clothing lightly. Her eyes moved to the black figure that suddenly shot from the ground and wrapped itself around the girl’s arm, its red eyes gazing at the others before a dark tongue flicked out from between its fangs.

The younger girl, apart of Sasuke and Naruto’s squad, Team Seven, sighed, saying, “Please don’t make him say it again. I think twice is enough already.” She rubbed at her temples, her long pink hair swinging behind her in the wind, her headband tied on top of her hair to keep it out of her eyes. Truly it was there because she did not feel she was ready to be a true shinobi, who wore their headband across their forehead… most of the time.

“I’ve made my vow, Sasuke,” Naruto shouted. “I vowed that I would be Hokage someday! I will! If you don’t understand that then maybe I have to say—”

“Now, now,” Kakashi said, his hand over the younger shinobi’s mouth. “I believe we should be helping Miss Higurashi here find her way to her new home, instead of fighting one another. I believe that she and her… um? I’m afraid you haven’t mentioned that to us, yet, Miss Higurashi.”

“Oh,” she replied. She brought her hand up and waved it a couple of times, before saying, “I must have forgot. Strange, nearly thirteen and I’m forgetting things like its going out of style! Hahaha! Um, I believe he might wish to introduce himself. Wouldn’t you, Sesshoumaru?”

 _Ah, so mature for one so young,_ Kakashi noticed, smiling through his mask.

“Hm,” he sighed. “Very well. I am Taisho Sesshoumaru. My family originally came from the Hidden Leaf Village, and thus I was chosen to escort and protect Miss Higurashi until she has completely settled in and began training once more. Apparently she wishes to become a chuunin, though you know how hard and fast a chuunin’s life can be.”

The girl shook her head, the black creature moving to wrap around her shoulders. “Sesshoumaru, how many times must I tell you? I am not ‘Miss Higurashi’, or whatever you deem me as. My name is Kagome, and I have told you time and again to call my as thus.”

Neji walked forward, his eyes locking onto the small creature as it turned its head toward them. Its tongue flicked out again, before its red eyes turned green, and it began shaking, almost as if it were frightened. However, the girl, Kagome, raised her hand and the creature seemed to begin to fade, a black ball falling to the ground, where is sank into the ground and became her shadow. It interested him, and he moved toward Lee, watching as the boy suddenly turned toward him with a light shining in his eyes. He sighed when Lee began yelling about ‘youth’ and ‘springtime’, causing this Kagome girl to laugh.

“TenTen, great job,” Lee called. “You’ve managed to find Neji! Gai-sensei will be most pleased! Where was he anyway? Training without us, trying to become more powerful without my knowing!” The flames erupted inside his eyes before he turned his attention to the girl standing before him. “Oh, please forgive me, Miss Higurashi. These are my teammates, Hyuuga Neji and TenTen.”

From the spot he was now standing in, Neji saw a blush cross the girl’s face. She was somewhat younger than they were; it was obvious that she was embarrassed by the praise. Or maybe it was just Lee himself? This girl was most strange, and he hadn’t even met her, only seen her from a distant… now closer up. He heard her delicate voice say, “Please, just call me Kagome. I-I really don’t deserve such honor placed upon my name.”

Lee’s eyes turned toward her, as he said, “Oh, but you do. That jutsu you used was brilliant. And with your own shadow, no less! Miss Higurashi I’m afraid I must disagree when you say such things. It would not be against my honor to not show the proper respect to anyone, no matter their age, when they’ve managed to create such a jutsu on their own!”

“It-ah,” Kagome stuttered. “S-Sess-houmaru!”

“The jutsu has been passed down through Miss Higurashi’s family line for many years,” Sesshoumaru replied. “I believe it was her great-great-great-grandfather who first used it after seeing another shadow jutsu. It is truly unique, however, only used within the late Higurashi Clan for they have never taught it to anyone other than their children. It can actually be taught to anyone, but there is a reason why the Higurashi Clan kept it to themselves when it was created.” He looked at Kagome from the corner of his eye, “She’s also using a different name then it is actually called when used the way the Higurashi Clan actually used it during battle.”

“So, it is like their Clan’s secret technique!” Lee whispered. “Amazing, I must learn how to counter this!”

She nodded to him in thanks, sighing a little. Then she turned toward them, and Neji felt that same cord strike again, singing almost instantly inside his chest. He watched as the kunoichi smiled at them, her eyes brightening with the beautiful formation of her face. He was at a lost for words, which made him glad he had not said anything. Instead he merely nodded toward her, watching as she accepted this and nodded as well. TenTen introduced herself with an apology for Lee’s ‘youthful’ spirit. Neji, however, continued to merely stare at her, his eyes boring into her as the others watched.

His eyes took a quick glance toward her when TenTen asked what Lee was talking about when he’d mentioned a jutsu. Kagome—though a shinobi was very kind and it confused him to no end—smiled once more, saying that she’d give an example if they wanted. He noticed Neji’s eyes, far more superior to his own when he wasn’t using his Kekkei Genkai, watch the girl like a hawk, and narrowed his own. Even with the Sharingan he couldn’t compare with that intense look that Neji gave as he politely asked her to. Kagome moved something inside of him, and for some reason that strange look inside the usually emotionless eyes of Neji tore him between suddenly challenging the other shinobi to battle, or merely ignoring it. He chose to latter for now.

“Yes, please,” Kakashi, said, glancing upward at the others. “I would like to see the jutsu your family created once more at least. It was very interesting to see one that is so new. I don’t think I’ve even heard of it before.”

“Yes, yes,” Lee said. “Continue to use your jutsu! Master it and grow as a youthful spirit!”

“Um…” Kagome began. “Alright, just watch my feet. I’m going to do it a little different then I did before.” She closed her eyes, instantly beginning to move her hands quickly, controlling her chakra and pushing it to create what she wanted. Her eyes snapped open, before she made the final hand sign, whispering, “Shadow Manipulation Jutsu!”

His eyes glanced at her feet, watching, as quite suddenly her shadow seemed to snap away from the ground. It looked like a hand searching in the dark for something to grab, before it touched her shoe and began wrapping around her leg, moving upward slowly. Then, Kagome, from what he saw out of the corner of his eye, smirked, and the shadow seemed to jump with renewed vigor. It suddenly shrank away, becoming larger around her, before it flew from the ground, engulfing her completely. Everyone but Neji and Sesshoumaru seemed to step toward her in worry, obviously thinking something might have happened to her. However, it was then that the shadow began leaking away, molding itself into the same figure that Kagome had, the shadow that had been left behind on the ground reaching out toward Neji, pulling away from the ground and touching his foot lightly. It wasn’t until it engulfed his foot that he tried to pull away, only to find that it was completely solid, holding him in place.

Neji growled, pulling his foot again. The girl had tricked him!

“Whoa,” Naruto said, watching it climb up his leg. “What is this stuff? That’s cool.”

“She’s manipulating the shadows. Since the sun causes her to cast a shadow she can use it whenever she pleases and she can make even a Hyuuga shinobi with the Byakugan go blind in darkness. She makes her chakra become one with the shadows, before pulling and bending that chakra to the shapes she wants it in. She can make it move, make it stay perfectly still, hide herself within it, blind a man, suffocate them in it, cause it to be solid… or gas,” Sesshoumaru said, glancing down at the young shinobi.

“Cool!” Naruto said, watching as quite suddenly the solid material broke apart, becoming mist like around him. It swirled above the girl’s head, before shrinking back into the ground, a small dog looking creature being left behind. The dog shook itself, suddenly barking and beginning to fade into the ground as everything else had, but even when it was gone they could still hear the barking.

“Every time I see it my blood begins to boil,” Lee shouted. “I must find a way to counter something like this. It is truly a great advantage!”

And that was how he came to know Higurashi Kagome, the girl who could manipulate any shadow. His Byakugan was no use against her, and he understood the reason why he felt such power within her, nearly saw it when he wasn’t using his Kekkei Genkai. However, he didn’t understand that strange cord that had struck inside his soul, nor did he wish to know at that moment. After all, they barely knew each other; in fact, Lee seemed to like her more than Neji did… but that was only on the outside.


	2. A Family Bond

“It was simply amazing, Gai-sensei!” Lee said, holding his hand up in front of his body. His green spandex moved as he did, still having enough room for it not to be completely tight. “She glowed with such youth while using her jutsu. It was truly a sight to see.” His eyes continued to flare, his body stance telling them he wished to begin finding a way to counter such an attack quickly.

TenTen nodded, “It was kind of creepy, too. I mean; did you see when her eyes opened again? I noticed that she closed them right before her shadow seemed to consume her, and when she opened them again they were staring right at Neji and I. All I saw while staring into them at that moment was blood.” TenTen shivered at the thought, shaking her head.

“Perhaps it reflects her soul.”

“What was that Neji?” TenTen asked, turning toward him.

“Her shadow wasn’t that dark until she began using her jutsu. It might have darkened because it reflects her soul,” Neji said, _again_.

Lee turned to glare at his oldest rival, his fists clenching as he heard this. “No, I refuse to believe that Miss Higurashi could be anything but a sweet, caring person! She was extremely nice, treated us all with respect we did not deserve, and it almost amazes me that she wishes to become a chuunin!”

 _Almost like Hinata,_ Neji thought, turning his white, pupil-less, eyes to see the treetops. He hated the main branch of the Hyuuga Clan, and he narrowed his eyes at the thought of them. _She’s too soft to be a shinobi… but this Kagome she was different. I sensed that underneath the happiness there was pain, regret almost. If faced with a difficult challenge she would change into a different person, probably getting through it without problems._

“Higurashi Kagome, hm?” Gai frowned, his tone deadly serious. “I believe I’ve heard of the Higurashi Clan once before. Their clan originally began inside our village, but it was said that they were also a disconnected piece of the Uchiha Clan long ago. I do not remember the exact reason, but they left the Hidden Leaf Village around ninety or more years ago. I’ve heard that the clan was completely destroyed, much like the Uchiha Clan, but it appears that there are still one or two members left.

“Miss Higurashi was most likely in danger wherever the Higurashi Clan moved on to! That is probably why she was relocated to our village, because we have students with such youthful promise! She must have heard that her clan originally began here and decided she would be most safe here!” Gai smiled, his white teeth sparkling in the sunlight.

Lee gave him two thumbs-up, “You are most intelligent, Gai-sensei! Now, tell me, do you know anything about the jounin with Miss Higurashi? The man who called himself Taisho Sesshoumaru?”

Neji listened as Gai-sensei began saying that the Taisho Clan had also been apart of the Hidden Leaf Village, but the clan had fought with other clans, mostly the Hyuuga Clan, thus they were forced to leave the Hidden Leaf Village in order to stop a possible war. When they left they took along their sister clan, the Higurashi Clan, and both simply disappeared. Then word went out that the Higurashi Clan had been destroyed and the Taisho Clan had taken in any survivors, grief sicken that their sister clan had been taken out without them knowing about it until a dying man came to them. The Taisho Clan would not talk much about it, but from what Gai-sensei knew, the Taisho Clan had been asked to take care of the Prodigy of the Higurashi Clan, and decided that in order to keep her safe until she had passed the jounin exam that she would return to their original village. He said that the Hokage had spoken with the Taisho Clan, still hidden from everyone’s knowledge, and had decided to take in the orphan. He also said that Lord Hokage had said that Higurashi Kagome would be allowed to be on Kakashi’s team until further notice.

“So, Kakashi-sensei shall have a team of four?” TenTen asked. “Isn’t that unfair?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Lee nearly shouted. “I shall crush them all with my youthful spirit!”

“It does seem a little unfair,” Gai said, “but Kakashi shall never be able to keep those children so youthful they will beat us!” His eyes burning brightly he told them that it was time to set to work, instead of standing around talking about a new member inside the clan. A rare occurrence, but for now it was time to train, not continue to talk, allowing Kakashi to overpower them with things he taught them while they were doing nothing!

Rolling his eyes, Neji pushed his mind away from the strange girl who could control shadows. He remembered what Gai-sensei had said about the Higurashi Clan being believed to be a disconnected part of the Uchiha Clan, and what TenTen has said about red eyes staring at them through the shadow that had surrounded Kagome completely. Perhaps that was what allowed her to see whenever she caused even a person with the Byakugan to go blind in total darkness. That might be the way to beat her, since the red of her eyes would probably be seen within the darkness easily. He had to admit, though, it did seem like a weak Sharingan, yet stronger with the shadow jutsu she’d used.

That strange feeling he had reappeared when he thought about challenging her. However, Hyuuga Neji shook it away, telling himself that he needed to prove that her jutsu was not as great as Lee continued to say. He didn’t understand the feeling, and it confused him that he was having any type of feelings for a kunoichi that just arrived at their village. So, he turned his thoughts away from this strange feeling he didn’t understand to watch as Lee pulled out four shuriken from a pouch and began throwing them toward a far-off target Gai-sensei had put up.

* * *

 

_What is this strange feeling…?_

Turning his eyes away from the current target, Sasuke turned to watch as Kagome traded blows with Kakashi-sensei, surprisingly keeping up with the jounin. She was pulling off excellent Taijutsu and Ninjutsu while in the middle of battle, once in a while using Genjutsu as well—almost like she’d been born with the ability to understand and use them to their fullest. Not that it actually seemed like a battle at first, since Kakashi-sensei was holding a book in his hand, reading it—or so it seemed—while merely sending small glances to block different attacks. It wasn’t until a little while ago that he’d began watching the girl more than he had been originally, but he still held the book and turned a page once in a while. Sasuke didn’t know what it was, but he felt anger when Kakashi-sensei managed to knock the kunoichi to the ground, his kick knocking the air out of her.

“Hm?” Kakashi said, surprise crossing his face as he looked down at the fallen girl. “Through already? Strange, I thought you’d have more in you from everything Taisho-sama told me about the Higurashi Prodigy. Or perhaps you are merely trying to pull me into a trap? Either way, I don’t believe it wise to continue lying in the mud, you might catch a cold.”

Sasuke watched as Kagome pulled herself to her knees, and spat onto the ground, wiping at her mouth afterward. He saw her eyes gleam, as she pulled a kunai from the pouch attached to her leg. She crossed the arm over her chest, before rushing forward, quickly dodging away from Kakashi-sensei’s attack, before running toward the other side of the clearing they were situated within. He almost wondered what she was doing until she flung the kunai, and wrestled something to the ground.

Kagome pulled another kunai out, before pressing it to the boy’s neck, listening to the annoying yipping of the dog at his side. “Who are you? Why are you spying on _us_?”

Two others came rushing into the area. The girl gasped, saying, “K-Kiba, are you alright?” The other boy merely stared through his glasses at the girl that was kneeling on their teammate, a kunai held so close to his throat he was sure that it would leave a thin mark. Not that it bothered him; Kiba wasn’t exactly one of his great friends, only his teammate.

Naruto turned from his current exercise, his face instantly turning into a frown as he noticed the jounin in front of him turned indifferent, turning his face toward the others. “Hey,” he called, “what are they doing here?”

Sasuke and Kakashi moved forward to see Kagome ready to take Kiba’s head, while the dog continued to yap at her. They watched as the dog went to bite Kagome, only for the girl to glare at him and the dog to suddenly shrink away, whimpering with his tail between his legs. Sasuke crossed his arms, while Kakashi merely looked on with mild surprise, since he hadn’t sensed the boy at all, obviously taking advantage of the fact that he was trying to block several attacks that might have taken off a few of his appendages.

Sasuke looked toward the others, before saying, “That’s something I’d like to know.” Something inside of him screamed to rip Kagome off of Kiba and teach the boy a lesson for getting that close to her. He didn’t understand what it was, but when he’d listened to Sesshoumaru’s story about how her clan was completely destroyed while he was training her… he’d felt a connection with her. Like they’d nearly gone through the same thing. Except it was his own brother that slaughtered their clan, while the Higurashi Clan’s assassin—possibly assassins’—had yet to be found. It seemed that this piece of him didn’t care that they were distantly related according to history.

Sakura sighed, coming to find out what had happened. Seeing most of Team Eight standing there she asked, “What’s going on?” She’d been practicing her throw when it came to both kunai and shuriken, since she couldn’t allow Ino to get better than her at anything, thus passing her in strength and taking Sasuke away! Plus, that was what Kakashi-sensei told her to do after she’d missed their opponent almost constantly during their last mission… her aim was off lately.

“You know those children?” Sesshoumaru asked, turning to face Naruto once more. He watched the boy turn to frown toward him, his blonde hair nearly standing on end from seeing the young shinobi that had just arrived.

“’Course I know them,” Naruto said, flinging his arms into the air. “They’re Team Eight!” He began pointing to them, “The silent one who always wears the glasses is Aburame Shino; the girl is Hyuuga Hinata; that yapping you hear is that stupid dog that Inuzaka Kiba is always carrying around… I think his name Akamama, or something like that!” He then yelled something about being smart and believing ‘it’ but no one was really paying attention to him.

The girl with white, pupil-less, eyes turned toward them when she heard his voice. She tried to bury her face deeper into her coat, before calling out, “O-Oh. N-Naruto.”

“Huh?” Naruto said. He turned, before waving, “Oh, hi, Hinata!”

“H-Hello, N-Naruto,” Hinata replied, watching as the two shinobi began walking toward them. Naruto’s arms crossed over his chest before he turned away, the jounin nearly dragging him toward them, and Hinata smiled at the sight. She didn’t know what it was, but whenever she watched Naruto she had the most wonderful feeling flow through her. Like she could do anything at all. It made her feel almost like she could do anything, no matter what her father thought.

Kagome’s near red eyes glanced back briefly, before she hissed, “Answer me, boy!” She leaned closer, until her mouth rested close to his ear, “Or should I merely disconnect your head from your shoulders?”

Kakashi’s only visible eye widened when he heard this, before he moved through the bush and tapped Kagome on the arm. He watched as her eyes turned toward him, and noticed that her once blue eyes had became red in color, shining with something close to the Sharingan. He could tell that it was not fully developed, whatever it was. “Come now, Miss Higurashi, I believe that won’t be necessary. He is merely a child, after all.”

Kiba glared, trying to push the girl off him. However, she’d pinned down his arms using her legs, while her knees were positioned onto his chest. This left him with enough room to kick his legs about, but never actually touching her, since he wasn’t that damn flexible. Raising his head when she turned to look at Kakashi-sensei, he said, “You do know that it’s rude to ask ones name without giving your own, don’t you?”

The kunai was pressed closer to his neck, “Higurashi Kagome. Now, tell me who you are, boy.”

“Stop calling me that!” Kiba snapped. “I’m Inuzaka Kiba, alright! Now get the hell off me!” He didn’t like what happened, since she pressed the kunai a bit closer, and he easily smelt the metallic scent of his own blood. Gulping a little, feeling vulnerable and silently asking Akamaru to help him, Kiba glanced back to find his faithful companion whimpering behind Hinata’s leg, while the girl blushed when Naruto asked her how she was. No one seemed to care that he was being crushed; and he couldn’t say that Shino cared—he was staring down at them at that moment—since he couldn’t see his eyes behind those stupid glasses he always wore.

“You haven’t answered both my questions,” Kagome said. The red in her eyes seemed to swirl, her glare becoming a bit more intense. However, the red didn’t last long and Kiba found himself being stared at like she could easily freeze him upon the spot. “ _Boy_.”

Growling, Kiba snapped, “I’m here because Kurenai-sensei ordered us to go see why the hell Kakashi-sensei got the new student. She thinks that Kakashi-sensei might have done something unfair to get another teammate, when the teams are supposed to be only three people. Kurenai-sensei also thinks that we should have the new student, since she’s, I’m guessing that’s you, supposed to be the prodigy of her clan, and Kakashi-sensei’s already got Sasuke!

“Now get off me, ya stupid girl!” Kiba snarled, bucking upward. He felt the kunai press a little closer to his neck, ready to rip through it, before the girl was suddenly pulled off of him. He watched as the guy with silver hair placed the girl on her feet, and she suddenly whirled on him, obviously unafraid of the stoic jounin.

Kagome snorted, crossing her arms. “Sesshoumaru, why do you always get in the way whenever I’m having fun?”

“Fun?” the others asked, exchanging confused looks.

Kiba rubbed at his neck, pulling himself into a knelt position. He looked up toward his teammates, before saying, “You guys could have dragged her off me, ya know!”

Amazingly it was Shino who answered, saying, “She didn’t seem like she was going to actually hurt you. What would be the point when there was no reason to try? Besides, Kiba, her posture told me that she was not going to hurt you in the slightest, she merely wanted to scare you a little to get information that should usually be kept to yourself.” Shino glared at him, “Kurenai-sensei will not be pleased with your mouth.”

“Your definition of fun should be downsized, Kagome,” Sesshoumaru shook his head. “I do not believe anyone would agree with you when you say frightening someone who’s done nothing to you is fun, nor would they say that acting as if you’re going to kill them is either. I am your protector until the Taisho Clan says otherwise and I will not allow you to continue to act as if you can do anything you want. The Higurashi Clan would have punished you accordingly, and I believe its time you’re punished again.”

Kagome sighed, “You know you can’t do it, Sesshoumaru. It’s not apart of your current job. You’re to protect the Higurashi Prodigy, not try and rip her head off using any type of jutsu, and you know it. Besides, if you don’t want me to do it anymore I won’t. My father hit me enough times to make sure that I should listen to those older than I am, and you are most definitely older, _gramps_.”

Sesshoumaru’s eyes lit up with a hidden fire, before he took up a stance. “Come now, Kagome. Would you simply walk away and allow me to say that you’re nothing, that you’re a disgrace to your clan? They’ll be laughing at you from Heaven, Kagome.”

Gritting her teeth, Kagome hissed, “I won’t fight with you, Sesshoumaru.”

“A true shinobi never asks to be pulled into battle, nor do they ask another to fight them. They simply attack,” he whispered, rushing at her. His bloodline trait, or Kekkei Genkai, took effect without him having to do anything, hand signs or say what it was. Fangs ripped through his gums, claws grew onto his hands, and his eyes turned blood red as he moved toward her. “Have you learned nothing, _Higurashi_?” Sesshoumaru snarled, his voice darker than it had been before.

Kagome pulled four shuriken from her hidden pocket, before taking up a stance. “Stop calling me Higurashi, Sesshoumaru,” she snapped. “You know I hate that.”

He zigzagged, moving back and forth and watching as she took in his movements. “If you wish for me to call you by your first name then you’ll have to earn some type of respect. Our clan’s were close, and though you are nearly a sister to me, Higurashi, I will not hesitate to kill you should you turn against us all because of your little _games_ … having _fun_ the way you do.”

A tear crept out of Kagome’s eye; she dropped the shuriken she was holding, her head dropping. “I would never hurt my clan, nor my friends, Sesshoumaru… you know that, big brother. You are the reason I survived, and I thank my brother clan for that everyday, but I would never hurt anyone unless I had to. Unless… I had to.”

He tackled her to the ground, the others watching as he placed his claws against her neck. She didn’t do anything, merely covered her eyes with her raven colored bangs, all of them watching on. Sesshoumaru’s red eyes faded, his claws turning back into nails as he saw another tear streak down her face. Sighing, Sesshoumaru raised himself onto his knees, before pulling Kagome to her feet once more. He never noticed that her hands were moving as he did this, but he brushed her off with his eyes closed. “I know, little sister, I know,” he whispered. It was then he realized his mistake.

“Shadow Manipulation Jutsu!” she said, her shadow stretching out, suddenly twisting up from the ground and wrapping around Sesshoumaru’s knees and across the top of his legs and feet, pinning him to the ground. Smiling to herself, she watched as his demon-like features returned, before saying, “Now, wasn’t it you who told me never to let my guard down, big brother? Perhaps you should take your own advice for once, instead of letting someone eight years your junior get the best of you.”

“Kagome,” he snarled.

Her smile brightened, “It’s to bad you stopped using your Kekkei Genkai before you noticed me making hand signs. You always told me to be learning more and I have. I’ve nearly mastered my jutsu by using one hand to make hand signs. Once I do you’ll have to watch out, big brother, because I might just use it against you.”

“ _Higurashi_ ,” he warned.

“Now, I know that you could have gotten away if you’d used your Kekkei Genkai before I began making hand signs, or maybe halfway through, but it appears that my brother has become senile and no longer pays attention to things around him. I believe that I should leave him here to learn that lesson, what about you, big brother?” she asked.

She moved out of his reach, before shaking her head at him. “Perhaps my big brother is not what I thought him to be.” She gave a sad look; “Perhaps he is merely trying to get me killed, instead of protecting me like he should be.” Her disappointment turned to glee, “Perhaps my big brother should be punished for his mistake! A jounin being outwitted by a genin! Ha!”

Team Eight watched on with different emotions running over them. Kiba sat there still wondering how the hell the girl had gotten one over on the guy. Hinata was wondering why they continued to call each other brother and sister, until she heard that their clan’s were so close. Shino watched her jutsu, something telling him that it would not be something he’d ever want to come up against. Shino also noticed something strange about the girl, along with a strange attraction that suddenly washed over him while watching her. He’d been confused at his anger at her tears, and concerned when the jounin knocked her down… and slightly proud to see her get one over on the jounin afterward. He’d never felt this way about any kunoichi before.

The rest of Team Seven also had different emotions running through them. Kakashi smiled at the sight, understanding their bond and finally understanding the reason as to why Taisho Sesshoumaru has been sent back with Higurashi Kagome. Sakura wondered what had truly happened to cause the clan’s to leave the Hidden Leaf Village, and what had happened to Kagome’s clan. Naruto was confused as he could get, the confusion written deep into his face as he stared at them. Sasuke felt slight envy as he watched the interaction between the two people. He understood that they’d been together probably most of their lives, but he wished that he was the one who had that bond with Kagome, just a little differently.


	3. What's So Special?

Nara Shikamaru sighed, watching as his teammates of Team Ten continued to argue over something or other. He wasn’t really sure; he’d just turned his head away to stare toward the trees as he sensed something. He wished it had been one of the others to have noticed it, since he really didn’t want to find out who was coming toward them, possibly spying on their training to learn more about their jutsus’ behind their backs. It was almost annoying, until he heard that someone shouting that they were burning with passion and youth, and knew almost instantly that it must have been that Rock Lee, apart of Maito Gai’s team. He knew this must have been true when he heard the jounin shouting about them shining their youth together.

Deciding that the older genin would have no reason to be spying on them, he decided that they must have been traveling toward something and needed to go straight through their training ground. Of course, it couldn’t really have been called a training ground with Yamanaka Ino and Akimichi Chouji arguing over… whatever it was they were arguing about. He’d managed to block them out a long time ago, wishing to possibly nap before their sensei, Sarutobi Asuma, returned. He might have been one of the smartest shinobi in Konoha, but he was also one of the laziest and didn’t feel like doing anything at that moment.

“Where are we going again, Gai-sensei?” he heard a female ask. If he remembered correctly it was a kunoichi by the name of TenTen… or something like that. He waited for the answer, and heard that they were going to go see Kakashi, something about them having another teammate… wait… hold on! Did he just say what he thought he said? Surely not, the teams consisted of three people, no more than that. He needed to hear more in order to get anything, but those two idiots he called teammates continued to argue over… over… ah…?

Sitting up, Shikamaru quickly snapped, “Will you two be quiet for once in your lives?” It came out like it usually did, slowly and almost like he wanted to be somewhere else. However, the hinting he put behind it shut both their mouths, before finally the blonde haired kunoichi decided to ask him something. His eyes flicked toward her briefly as she did.

“Is something wrong, Shikamaru?” she asked. “Do you hear something?” She looked toward the forest, wondering why Shikamaru had asked them to, basically, shut up. Shikamaru usually never did that unless it was something important, and she could bet it was. Hell, it might be something about Uchiha Sasuke, and she’d die in order to know it.

“What?” he heard Lee shout. “Why would Lord Hokage place her with my other rival? It makes another person I must defeat in order to continuing burning with the youth of springtime!”

“Besides,” he heard the girl say, “hasn’t it always been a rule that the teams are of three? You said yourself that it was undecided until further notice. Why would Lord Hokage decide to suddenly place her on Team Seven?”

Gai, sounding much like Lee in a way, growled like an animal. “Kakashi got to Lord Hokage before I could! I went to ask him what he was going to do with her, only to find Kakashi walking out of the room, reading his book for the thousandth time! When I entered to ask him, Lord Hokage told me that he’d made an exception! Lord Hokage told me a little about the Higurashi Prodigy, as they called her, and I nearly begged him to place her into my hands, but Lord Hokage would not budge on the subject!” Shikamaru could have bet Gai was streaming with tears at this point and won, “She would have made an excellent addition to our squad!”

“So, why are we going to see them again?” he heard another voice. It sounded almost cold, but not so much that it would have frightened anyone around him. “I mean you already know all this, Gai-sensei, what more do you need to know?”

“I need to know why Kakashi got her, instead of I, his greatest rival! Higurashi Kagome would have been the most wonderful addition to us, yet Kakashi is the one holding onto her. It is not fair!” Gai shouted. “I told Lord Hokage I would run a thousand laps if he’d reconsider; I told him I’d even add two-hundred push-ups, but he would not budge an inch! I need to know what Kakashi said in order to get a valuable member to his squad! After all, she is closer to your age, training, and youthfulness than she is to Kakashi’s students!” He stopped for a moment, “And it was _supposed_ to be until further notice! I wish to know why Lord Hokage suddenly changed his mind!”

“Shut up, Ino,” the other boy hissed. “Let him listen.”

“It might be about Sasuke!” Ino snapped. “I must know it so that I can beat Sakura in winning his heart! Plus, why don’t you shut up, Chouji? You’ve got a bigger mouth than I do!”

“Yeah right! Keep thinking that, Ino,” Chouji replied.

Ino snarled, “Is that why you keep shoving food in your face? You don’t see me doing it, do you?”

“Shut up, both of you,” Shikamaru snapped. However, even using any type of jutsu he’d no longer be able to hear them since they’d moved out of range. He turned to the others, sighing, before going to stand—he’d been lying back in the grass the whole time, and he’d need to stretch anyway. When he turned away, he shook his head, saying, “Idiots” and beginning to walk away.

“Hey,” Ino called, “Shikamaru, where are you going? Asuma-sensei told us to stay here; are you trying to get us into trouble? Then we might never get to go on another mission, and I won’t be able to show Sasuke how strong I’m becoming! Shikamaru, are you listening to me?”

“Just come on,” Shikamaru said. “I overheard something about Kakashi getting another genin on his team. It just doesn’t seem right, and I want to see for myself.”

“Kakashi? He’s Sasuke’s sensei,” Ino said. “Why would he want another genin, even if he could have one? Sasuke’s the greatest shinobi in the whole village; Kakashi doesn’t need anyone else since he’s already got Sasuke, that stupid Sakura, and that lame Uzumaki Naruto. Then again, with those two by his side Sasuke probably needs another person to help him out.”

“In-o,” Shikamaru said, walking in a slight slump. “Shut up. We don’t want them to detect us when we arrive, now do we? Besides, we need to get enough information and then leave before Asuma-sensei figures out we’re gone. So, stop talking about that dang Sasuke and come on, already.”

“But—”

“Shikamaru is right, Ino,” Chouji butted in, chewing on another chip from his bag. “If we want to get there undetected then we need to be quiet, not let you continue to yap about Uchiha Sasuke. Besides, I bet Shikamaru is just following the ones who went to see Kakashi’s team, which means that he doesn’t know how far we’re going and when you need to shut your mouth.”

“In other words, Ino,” Shikamaru said. “Shut it now before we suddenly stumble upon them while listening to you.”

Ino blushed, ducking her head down. It wasn’t her fault that Sasuke was the cutest, strongest, and most talented genin she knew. It wasn’t her fault that she’d had a crush on him almost since the first time she’d laid eyes on him. It wasn’t—ok, it was her fault that she knew almost everything about him. Except what happened inside his home, since he’d never allow her in there unless they were dating or something. She was starting to doubt that Sasuke would see anything in her; especially now that that stupid Sakura was hanging all over him by being in the same team as him. Ino glared at the ground, _no; I won’t give up Sasuke to Sakura, or anyone else for that matter! He’s mine!_

They past tree, after tree, after tree, after tree, after tree, after tree—suddenly, there were voices up ahead. They heard someone shout about being youthful, before Kakashi’s voice cut in with a bored question of what the first voice had said, before the first voice growled at not being paid attention to, again! Ino, Chouji, and Shikamaru slipped in behind some bushes, looking over to see Gai-sensei, Kakashi-sensei, Kurenai-sensei, another jounin they didn’t recognize, and their teams… along with a girl with raven hair that they’d never seen. She was facing off with Hyuuga Neji, who continued to stare at her with his white eyes, blinking a few times, before the girl suddenly asked him how his day had been, only to receive a glare from at least three other boy’s. It was strange that she stared straight into his eyes, the ones that could bulge with the Byakugan, and scared most people so much that they never looked into another Hyuugas’ eyes.

“Why is it that you get the Prodigy of the Higurashi Clan, Kakashi?” Kurenai asked. “It should have been a group discussion and she should have been placed within the team that best suited her if she was going to join the chuunin exams, not you simply running off, asking permission, and getting it like you always do.”

Gai nodded, “I must agree. Miss Higurashi should have been in my squad. Her youthful spirit would have filled the air and led us to victory in anything we do!”

Kakashi glanced up from his book, “What was that? Sorry, I continue to get lost on the road of life, sometimes.”

Kurenai sighed, before saying, “You always say that Kakashi, but you simply wish to get lost inside that stupid book you carry around. Now, tell us what you did that caused Lord Hokage to simply hand Higurashi Kagome over to you? Don’t give me anything other than the truth, Kakashi, for we all know that Lord Hokage should have chosen a team she was compatible with.”

Kakashi smiled, “Then she is on the perfect team. She is compatible with any squad; go ask Lord Hokage yourself. I simply asked him first, knowing that if she wanted to become a chuunin she’d need to be placed onto a team. She’s apart of Team Seven.” _For the moment_ , he added silently. _It seems they have not asked Lord Hokage about this yet…_

“But if the rumors are true she should be on the team that could protect her the most—”

“Which would be me and my youthful students!” Gai said. “Neji and Lee could easily protect her, and TenTen would watch her every second of the day if I told her to.”

“She doesn’t need more protection,” Kakashi said. “Besides, I don’t think her brother clan, the Taisho Clan, is going to allow anything to happen to her. And she also has her big brother here with her as well.”

Lee, having listened to the conversation, said, “But Miss Higurashi said that she was an only child! Surely she did not lie!”

“No,” Kakashi replied, “but that does not mean she can’t have a brother. Even if that brother is not related to her, but apart of the Taisho Clan, himself.”

“Oh,” Lee said. “I see. Miss Higurashi considers Taisho Sesshoumaru to be her older brother because of the link their two clans had, correct?”

“Yes,” Kakashi said. He smiled, “That almost explains it perfectly.” He flipped the page of his book, beginning to read as the others began settling down. He knew the conversation wasn’t over, but it would need to be discussed further in front of Lord Hokage himself, instead of them bickering with each other over what had happened and what could happen. Higurashi Kagome would be a very powerful asset to any team, and she would also be a very dedicated person, helpful, kind, and worried about her teammates. That might have been the reason he thought of going to Lord Hokage first.

“So,” Kagome scratched the back of her head. That look almost gave her the creeps, since she was sure he’d perfected it almost as well as Sesshoumaru had. “Um, how was your day, Neji?” she looked straight into his eyes, remembering what Sesshoumaru told her about always keeping our eyes upon your opponents. You could easily see the slightest flicker of them, possibly getting the hint of where they would attack you next.

Neji blinked, “It… has been… alright.” It was strange being asked that by a girl you’d only met the other day, especially when he felt his heart speed up. He forced himself to not show it, though, merely watching her as she smiled and said that was ‘great’, before asking him something else—something that he hadn’t quite caught because he continued to stare.

“Kid,” Sesshoumaru snarled, seeing the look he gave his little sister. “You should pay more attention, instead of merely staring at others. You know it’s rude, don’t you? Didn’t the Hyuuga Clan ever teach you anything about manners?”

Neji glanced at him briefly, deeming his question unworthy of answering. It seemed that the jounin didn’t find this acceptable, for he was about to step back as a kunai came flying at him. However, another clashed against it, the girl before him standing with her hands on her hips, glaring at the jounin as if she were his mother. He smirked, listening as she told him to go play somewhere, before calling him ‘big brother’. The jounin turned his head as if not hearing her, but from the glare in his eyes he was positive he had. Shifting his feet, he nodded to her, even though he had not needed the assistance.

Kagome placed on foot over the other, crossing her legs while she stood. Her hands clasped behind her back and she never noticed the hungry stares she was given as her chest pushed out a bit. No, she simply looked up toward the sky, watching the clouds as they rolled by. “I don’t know what gets into Sesshoumaru sometimes. He’s my big brother—besides by blood, of course—but sometimes I think he’s a bit overprotective. Probably where I get my weird sense of humor.”

“Weird sense of humor?” Neji asked.

Kiba snorted. “She said she was gonna cut my head off if I didn’t tell her my name and the reason why I was there. Then after all that trouble she’s pulled off me by Taisho-sama, and says that she was only having a bit of _fun_. Apparently she likes making others piss their pants thinking they’re going to die before skipping away like a little girl going on a evening walk with her boyfriend.”

Though no one saw it, Shino glanced briefly at Kiba. He then said, “You did deserve it, though. You were sitting behind the bushes like some spy watching them perform their jutsus’ when you should have just gone up and asked Kakashi-sensei what Kurenai-sensei wanted to know. Her sense of humor was only an added bonus, since you probably seemed pretty suspicious. She is new, after all.”

Though he was kind of freaked out from hearing so much from Shino at one time, especially when he was protecting that stupid girl, Kiba adjusted well. “Yeah, well,” Kiba replied, “Akamaru and I don’t think so. Right, Akamaru?” The dog sitting inside his hood stuck his head out above his own, yapping a few times in agreement. Not that anyone besides Kiba understood it, but it told all after Kiba had just spoken.

Neji watched them for only a moment, before moving his eyes to see Lee hugging Gai-sensei, both of them shouting about ‘youth’ and things like that, before the other jounin told them to kindly shut up. Mostly Kurenai, but Kakashi did join in as well. After hearing the explanation from both Kiba and Shino, he turned back to Kagome. “I understand this ‘sense of humor’ you have. Though it may not have seemed funny to them, it gave you joy to know that you were scaring the younger genin when he shouldn’t have been there in the first place. It is not honorable to spy on another to see their jutsu,” Neji nodded.

“But sometimes necessary,” Kagome said. “When you’re going up against an opponent you cannot possibly win against it might be best to watch his or her jutsu and die an honorable death.”

“I suppose,” Neji agreed.

From their hiding spot, Shikamaru pushed Ino over a bit, listening as Sasuke and Naruto began calling each other names, before Sasuke merely stopped, choosing to stare up toward the sky. He knew this would annoy the hell out of Naruto, which it did causing him to yell more, before looking to find Sakura had been speaking with TenTen and Hinata, whispering about something or other, he didn’t care. Moving his gaze toward Hyuuga Neji and this Higurashi Kagome, he watched how the Hyuuga boy reacted toward her, noticing that he seemed almost relaxed in a way.

Ino leaned over, “What’s so special about her?”

“Didn’t you hear, Ino?” Chouji said, taking a small bite from another chip. “She’s the prodigy of her clan. I’ve never heard of the Higurashi Clan, though.”

“I have,” Shikamaru said. “They and the Taisho Clan were once apart of the Hidden Leaf Village, but the Taisho and Hyuuga Clans’ had conflict between them, so they decided that it was time to find another shinobi village, one where they would not have to constantly fight. The one who usually stopped the fighting was the Higurashi Clan, one of the gentlest who used to live here, and when the Taisho Clan decided to leave they asked their sister clan, the Higurashi Clan, to come with them. Once they left… well, it’s said that they simply vanished. I wonder why she’s back, though?”

Ino shrugged, “Who knows?”

“Well, obviously some of them do!” Shikamaru sighed. “I thought that would have been obvious, Ino.”

Ino blushed, “Well… ah… it was!”

“Shh, you’ll give away our cover!” Chouji whispered.

“I don’t think they’d hear us anyway over Gai-sensei and Lee,” Ino snapped.

“Its still best to keep quiet, though,” Shikamaru added. “You don’t want one of those jounin to catch us. Then Asuma-sensei would know for sure that we’d snuck off.”

Ino frowned, watching as Neji, Shino, and Sasuke continued to cast glances toward this new kunoichi—Shino she couldn’t tell so much, but she saw his glasses move until he was looking toward her. Her frown deepened when she noticed that Sasuke was only using the sky as an accuse to ignore Naruto, while sending brief glances toward the raven-haired girl. Looking at the two boys at her side, she noticed that Chouji was continuing to eat, while Shikamaru had seemed to notice something that he must have liked. When she followed his gaze, however, she saw that he too was staring at this new kunoichi, and she became green with jealousy, metaphorically, of course. “I still don’t see what’s so special about _her_ ,” she hissed between her teeth. No one would take Sasuke away from her, even if they didn’t know they were doing it, since the girl before her seemed to only notice her conversation with the Hyuuga boy, and nothing else.

Chouji nudged her arm, “Who knows. I don’t see why they’re fighting over her. They call themselves jounin. They’re almost fighting like children.”

Obviously he hadn’t noticed the looks the other boys’ were giving this Higurashi girl. Ino had though, and no matter what she wasn’t going to just let someone else have Sasuke. No, he’d have to be taken away from her by force.

Shikamaru didn’t know what had come over him. One minute he was looking around, the next he was staring into the eyes of a beauty, watching as she continued to have a nice conversation with Hyuuga Neji. He felt envy at that, almost wishing that he were the one standing there. However, he shook his head, saying that they’d need to get back; they’d wasted enough time. “Come on, we better get going before Asuma-sensei comes back and finds us gone.”

“Yeah,” Chouji agreed. “This is boring anyway.”

Shikamaru turned, casting a last glance at the Hyuuga boy that was getting most of the attention. He didn’t notice that two other pairs of eyes were also glaring at him. There were a third pair as well, but in a brotherly way, not the way the others wished to come to know her. Shaking his head, Shikamaru stuffed his hands into his pockets and began walking, going back to his usual self: bored and wishing he was somewhere else, or doing something not so bothersome. Ino and Chouji began arguing on the way back, and he tilted his head back to stare up toward the sky, before closing his eyes the image of that Higurashi Kagome coming to mind.

He sighed, _how bothersome…_


	4. Close Your Eyes, Count to Ten

“Hm? What was that? Sorry, I must have missed it,” Kakashi smiled. He saw Gai fume, continuing to walk next to him while clenching his fist. He sighed however, knowing that Gai was probably thinking about rivalry and things like that, hoping to beat in him combat or whatnot. He really didn’t care; he had things to think about. He knew that he’d left his squad in good hands with Sesshoumaru, who refused to leave Kagome until he got word that he needed to return to his clan. So, he left the other jounin with them, ordering them to do as he said and train until he returned. Knowing him, however, he’d get lost on the road of life once again, sit down at a bench and read most of his Come Come Paradise book again, before finally realizing the time, sighing, and going to tell them they could stop and go eat something. By then Naruto would probably eat five to nine bowls of ramen.

Then again, he was a growing boy.

 _Oh, Kakashi!_ Gai frowned, “You never pay attention to anything I say, Kakashi! Your youth is beginning got slip away from you each and everyday! You need to do more youthful activities, instead of sticking your nose inside your book everyday!”

Shaking his head, Kakashi said, “I happen to enjoy this book, thank you.”

Gai gave a huff, “A little to much if you ask me!” _My oldest rival, I shall never be able to fight you if you continue to let that book steal your youth!_ He, of course, kept this to himself, swinging a few punches in front of him. There were things that he kept to himself, though a lot came out most of the time. He’d kept this one thing from Kakashi for years… or had he? He couldn’t remember! _Dear Gods, my youth is beginning to fade! I must do something to reverse this!_

* * *

 

His shoes kicked the dirt in front of him, his eye twitching as he tried to meditate. He just couldn’t do it. Couldn’t… no… could… no… _no_ … couldn’t! With a sigh, Naruto fell backward, his back plopping against the dirt, before he stretched out. They’d been meditating for nearly an hour and he didn’t understand the whole point of it. Why did he need to clear his mind and focus on his chakra, exactly? He didn’t know; Sesshoumaru-sensei—for now, until Kakashi-sensei returned—had shaken his head, obviously thinking he should know the answer himself.

He felt something tap him on the shoulder. Opening his eyes he nearly freaked to see Kagome leaning over him, smiling like she always did. It kind of freaked him out at times, since her whole clan had been destroyed—kind of like Sasuke’s—and yet she still continued to smile. Maybe she just did that to hide her true feelings, though?

“Hey, Naruto,” she whispered. “Um, I noticed that you really didn’t understand the whole meditation thing. You know, I have a secret that I’ll tell you if you promise not to say anything about it to the others, alright?”

Naruto glanced around, “Ah huh!” It was a little loud, but he managed to soften it. He hoped none of the others were brought out of their trances because of it. It would suck to be punished for not doing what he was supposed to be doing.

“Most of the time when big brother makes me meditate,” Kagome began. “Well, I just relax my body and fall asleep. He doesn’t notice most of the time, and if you wanted I’d wake you before he did.”

“Really?” Naruto asked. “I didn’t get much sleep last night.” He yawned a little, “It’d be great to catch up on a few Z’s.”

Kagome nodded, before shifting back into her spot. She crossed her legs again, before whispering, “I know what you mean.” She watched as Naruto shifted back into his position, before his breathing began evening out. It was amazing that he could fall asleep so quickly, but she’d noticed that he seemed a little tired, and it’d been better for him to rest up, instead of being tired when the enemy came. It was like Sesshoumaru always said, get as much sleep as you can between attacks, whether it’s on the hard ground, or in a comfortable bed because you need to be well rested in order to use chakra against the enemy.

Her body felt nearly restless, her chakra crackling in the air around her as she meditated. Sesshoumaru always told her to close her eyes and count to ten, but she wasn’t sure if it was going to help at this moment. That usually only worked for her whenever she needed to let go of anger or some emotion that she didn’t want or need at the moment. So, that ruled out that, and she nearly jumped to her feet and told Sesshoumaru to go fuck himself, before rushing off to do something on her own. She sighed, however, regaining control of her chakra, and telling herself that she wouldn’t do that to her big brother, no matter how much she wanted to at the moment.

Sasuke opened his eye to find Naruto snoring and rolled his eyes before looking at Kagome. Her eyes were closed far to tightly for her to be actually meditating. She winced a little, and he frowned in worry at what was happening to her, before she shook her head. He watched her sigh, trying to relax her body, before she winced again. He didn’t know why he was worried about this new devolvement in her attitude, but he smiled when she sighed in frustration and flung her arms into the air.

“Count to ten,” she whispered. “Count to ten,” she whispered again, growling. She opened her eyes to find Sasuke staring at her, causing a thick blush to rush over her cheeks. Turning her head away, she stood and brushed her pants before muttering to herself about how this sucked and she wasn’t going to do it anymore. She turned her eyes onto Sesshoumaru, noticing how his head was tilted a little to the side, and narrowed her eyes.

“That’s it!” she yelled, “I’m sick of this!”

Sakura jumped, saying, “Wh-what’s going on?”

Kagome pointed at Sesshoumaru while Sasuke and Sakura watched, Naruto already far to asleep to have heard her at all. “I’m sick of you falling asleep while we’re supposed to be training! You just wanted to meditate so that you wouldn’t have to do anything, and now you can’t even hear me because you sleep like a twenty-pound boulder!” She rushed at Sesshoumaru, the jounin never knowing what was happening, before she slammed her foot against the side of his head, her Taijutsu perfect as she flipped backward in order to escape his counter attack.

Sesshoumaru rubbed his head, “What was that for?”

“You and you’re stupid ‘stay alert’ crap, Sesshoumaru,” Kagome stomped her foot. “Why is it we get here and then you turn into a lazy man who’s falling asleep every other second? Explain this to me, big brother! Shouldn’t you be off doing something for Lord Hokage or something, instead of just sitting on your butt all the time?”

He glared at her; “I am loyal to my clan, not the Village Hidden in the Leaves.” Turning his head away from her, he crossed his arms over his chest, before adding, “I would not go against what my clan has told me.”

“Oh, yes,” Kagome giggled. “Wasn’t it, ‘Sesshoumaru, you are to protect Kagome at all costs. Never leave her side,’

“‘But—,’

“‘You, my son, are best suited for the position of protector. Think of this as a mission, instead of a babysitting job, Sesshoumaru, and you will find that it will not be so bad. Remember that you are to continue to train her while you are there’.”

“You heard that?”

“What’s she talking about?” Sakura asked, turning to Sasuke. He had to know the answer, he was one of the best shinobi in the whole village, and there was no way that he didn’t know what was going on at the moment. She nearly cringed when he actually did turn to her, however, his eyes hard and telling her to leave him alone, since Naruto wasn’t going to answer anytime soon.

Sasuke completely ignored her after that, and Sakura suddenly turned her eyes to glare at the girl standing near the jounin Kakashi-sensei had left them with. She had no idea what had happened, but for some reason Sasuke had gone from sighing and answering her questions, to completely ignoring her and staring at the girl’s back. Kagome was a real pain in her side, but she smirked at the thought of what Ino would think, since Ino was probably more obsessed with Sasuke than she was, considering the fact that Ino was on a completely different squad.

Sakura felt so heart broken, though. Especially since Sasuke was giving his attention to that stupid Kagome. If only she didn’t have such a connection with Sasuke. If only her clan hadn’t been destroyed, then maybe Sasuke wouldn’t have taken notice of her, nor the fact that she’d shown up in the first place. Then again, she knew that Kagome was beautiful, even for her age. She knew that most men would probably fall for her as soon as they saw her once she was matured completely, even if she was going to kill them. Hell, it’d probably help the situation, since Kagome would be able to easily take them out while they admired her.

“Do you think I’m deaf?” Kagome asked.

Sesshoumaru snorted. “Obviously not if you heard a conversation that should have been private. When will you learn to mind your own business, Kagome? Hm?” He lifted an eyebrow when she rolled her eyes. “Are you going to answer the question, or simply ignore it like you usually do?”

“Huh?” Kagome blinked. “Did you say something?”

“Smart ass,” he grunted.

Kagome placed her hands on her hips. “Oh, you’re one to talk, Sesshoumaru!”

Sesshoumaru ignored her, turning his eyes to the blonde boy, before narrowing his eyes. He knew for a fact that the boy housed the Kyuubi, but he didn’t let that bother him. His own clan’s Kekkei Genkai made them almost demon like; mostly the reason why the Taisho Clan had left the Hidden Leaf Village and had asked the Higurashi Clan to accompany them. Even if the Higurashi Clan seemed gentle and sweet they contained demons of their own. No one would be able to make him think otherwise because he knew Kagome, and he knew the way she got whenever she became one with the shadows surrounding her.

Kagome watched him, eyes narrowed as Sesshoumaru stood at full height. She wondered for a moment what the hell he was doing, before her gaze shifted to Naruto. She had followed Sesshoumaru’s to the boy, and stiffened a little when she saw his eyes narrow. She knew that Sesshoumaru hated whenever she fell asleep during his train sessions, so why wouldn’t he hate the fact that Naruto fell asleep.

Sesshoumaru took a step forward.

“Leave him alone, Sesshoumaru!” Kagome snapped, pointing a finger toward the ground.

Sakura turned her attention to the snoozing Naruto, and sighed. “Oh, Naruto.”

“Idiot,” came Sasuke’s voice.

Sakura, smiling, nodded as he said this. However, she frowned when she noticed that his attention was the opposite direction from her, and hadn’t seen her agreeing with him. Her heart felt heavier, and she wanted nothing more than to stuff Kagome’s face into the dirt and rub it there. Maybe then Sasuke would turn his attention toward her and finally return her feelings. Especially since it would prove that she was a stronger kunoichi than Kagome… but an image of Kagome being engulfed within her own shadow stopped her completely. Her heart thumped madly at the thought of what Kagome could do to her.

Sasuke stood suddenly, saying, “This is a waste of time.”

“Where do you think you’re going, Uchiha?” Sesshoumaru hissed.

Kagome smiled at the distraction, and moved to Naruto’s side. She shook the boy, punched him in the shoulder, slapped him in the face, and he still slept on. This angered her, but she was glad that Sasuke was being helpful, even if he didn’t know it yet. She told herself to count to ten once more, to breathe in and out. A thought came to her, though, _I wonder._

Sasuke remained quiet, turning his eyes so that he could watch Kagome kneel over Naruto. His eyes narrowed, and he was sure that Sesshoumaru saw this reaction, for he turned his attention back toward the two.

“Oh, Narrrrr-uuuu-ttttoooo,” Kagome giggled. “I bet you’re hungry, aren’t you?” The boy twitched a little in his sleep, causing another giggle to erupt from her throat. “You look like the ramen type of guy. Wouldn’t you like some? I brought a lot of money with me, I could buy you as much ramen as you like.”

Naruto sprang from his sleeping position, his hand suddenly clutching Kagome’s wrist between his fingers, “What are we waiting for! Ichiraku Ramen, here we come!” He began walking forward, dragging the fallen kunoichi off the ground and behind him with intent on making sure she fulfilled her promise of all the ramen he liked! He would make sure she didn’t chicken out.

Kagome smiled, suddenly grabbing Naruto’s arm and placing both her arms around his one. She noticed that the boy blushed, but laughed, saying, “You’re just like Inuyasha, Naruto. Nothing worked to make him wake up, except me telling him it was time to eat. I didn’t think I’d find another ramen lover, though.”

Sasuke stiffened, saying, “Isn’t it obvious?”

Inner Sakura screeched when Sasuke stuffed his hands into his pockets and began briskly walking toward Naruto and Kagome. _How dare that bitch take all the attention of everyone! Even Naruto! This isn’t fair! Why can’t she just fall in love with someone like Naruto, break Sasuke’s heart, and let me pick up the pieces! I won’t let her take Sasuke! There must be a way to make her fall in love with one of the other boys! Cha!_

Sesshoumaru sweat dropped, wishing that Kagome didn’t have an uncanny ability to draw in every boy she ever met. He sighed, deciding that for now he would allow them to eat. Afterward, though, he was going to do some night training with Kagome, and no matter how much she whined, or argued, it was going to happen. She needed to train in order to master the jutsu that her father had been teaching her, not to mention the summoning jutsu his father had been teaching her when her clan was attacked.

Sakura sighed, watching as everyone walked away from her, following Naruto and Kagome. While she stood there, hoping that this was all just a dream, her stomach grumbled, telling her that she was hungry. What she heard, though, was something she hadn’t expected. It caused her to blush afterward, though, since her stomach had been rather loud.

“Hey, Sakura!” Kagome called. “Do you want to come too? I’m sure that I’d be able to pay for it, no matter how much Naruto eats!”

Sasuke pushed himself forward until he was standing next to Kagome, glaring at the fact that her arms were wrapped around Naruto’s. Something told him that she was merely trying to create a brotherly bond with the idiot, because of that other person she’d been talking about, but he still didn’t like it.

Kagome blinked, “Are you alright, Sasuke?”

“…”

She giggled, “Oh, alright. You don’t need to tell me if you don’t want to.” She smiled again, “But I always found that it’s easier to either close my eyes and count to ten, or to tell someone about it.”

Naruto’s lips became a thin line, his eyes becoming slits. “Don’t worry about him, Kagome. He’s always like this.”

Kagome frowned, “Um, alright.” Her frown turned back into a smile within moments, “What are we waiting for, then? Come on, Naruto, we don’t want to waste too much time, do we? Especially if you want to eat more than one bowl.” She let go of his arm, and raced forward, listening to the boy’s yell of happiness, obviously glad that he was going to get his favorite food that night. As she ran, though, her eyes flashed, and she shook her head in order to force down the feeling that rose within her.

 _Count to ten, Kagome. Count to ten,_ she whispered to herself.


	5. Final Decisions

“You’re here to ask about my decision on Higurashi Kagome, are you not?”

There were nods, and a chorus of, “Yes, Lord Hokage!”

Lord Hokage sighed, tilting his head down toward the message on his desk. “This morning I received information on the Prodigy of the Higurashi Clan. It spoke of the missions she’d taken on with her team, when her team was alive, the different jutsus’ she knows, and other things that were very helpful when it came to this. The information came from the head of the Taisho Clan, delivered by his youngest son, and though helpful was very vague.”

One of the jounins’ sitting in front of him coughed, “Lord Hokage, if I may ask, how vague was this information?”

“Very, as I said. The message was over ten pages long, describing in length, but with many missing pieces, things about her. The only piece of information that was solid was the two other genin that had been on her squad, and their jounin. It spoke of their abilities, and why they were best suited together, how their weaknesses and strengths supported each other. It spoke of why their jounin was chosen, and how she contributed to their training.

“The description of her Taijutsu, Ninjutsu, and Genjutsu wasn’t very useful. The message did talk about the Taijutsu she can use in length, and without blank spots, most likely because they’re things that most shinobi can learn. However, her Ninjutsu and Genjutsu were vague, just as many of the items it talked about. Along with this it does not have specific names to the things she can do, only smaller, confusing, names that make no sense to those who wish to know what she can do. I suspect that this is because most of these things were secrets that died with the Higurashi Clan, and only Kagome knows them. Thus they do not wish for others to know it as well.

“It spoke little of the different Kekkei Genkai she possesses as well. I suspect that this was something that they wish dies with the clan and no one comes to know them. The only solid piece of information was that she has two different Kekkei Genkai from the Higurashi Clan, most of which are situated around Shadow Techniques that only gave a small example of what they are like. I suspect this was also for the good of their clan, as is the fact that they would not speak of a final Higurashi Kekkei Genkai that she possesses. However, it spoke of a final Kekkei Genkai that did not come from the Higurashi Clan and I can only suspect that one of her parents was from another clan, though it did not say which.

“Other pieces of information, as well, such as the missions she has taken on thus far, contained large blank spaces. Such as the information on the three A-rank missions she has taken. Not much was described, only what they were supposed to do, that they did it, and that Kagome was the only one that returned with only a few scratches on her. They had taken four B-rank missions, six C-rank, and nine D-rank missions before the tragedy, and were about to be assigned another A-rank. All of the missions described were very vague, containing information that only helped one understand what they would have been doing. It did not have a written report of what happened during the mission, nor does it have anything about why the mission was given to them; how dangerous it was, what risks there were. Nothing.” He stopped, “As I said, ‘vague’ would describe it perfectly.”

“Perhaps they thought we had no right to know such things,” another jounin said.

The first scoffed, “Or perhaps they are trying to hide things from us. This could merely be some type of trap from the Taisho and Higurashi Clan. It wouldn’t surprise me if they had merely let the news out that the Higurashi Clan had been destroyed, and they were simply sitting in hiding, waiting for us to believe them before attacking.”

Lord Hokage raising his hand for silence. “The news has spread far and wide. The Taisho Clan is in an uproar, which is the reason they sent Higurashi Kagome here. They are trying to find the ones who destroyed the clan that has stood by their side for so long, possibly wondering how they were found, when they are so well hidden. The Higurashi Clan is gone, there is no denying it.”

“How can we be sure, though, Lord Hokage?”

“The head of the Taisho Clan was very kind to tell me that should his eldest son, Sesshoumaru, feel threatened or even think that they are in danger here, that he will send out a team of his best jounin, and move both Sesshoumaru and Kagome to the Village Hidden in the Sand. This, of course, will only be until the chuunin exams begin. It seems that the Taisho Clan wishes to see Kagome pass the chuunin exams, as many of their clansmen have before her. Especially now that she is the last of her own clan.”

“How have they been participating in the chuunin exams if they’re not apart of any village?”

“I wished to know that as well,” Lord Hokage replied. “That is the exact reason why I asked the messenger, Inuyasha was his name. The boy was rather rude, but did tell me that that was the reason why she’d be moved to the Village Hidden in the Sand should anything happen here. Apparently there has been a pact between the village and the two clans for quite some time, but the pact was broken a few years ago by the Kazekage. The two clans had been acting as apart of the Village Hidden in the Sand when any of the exams came and any of their clansmen were ready to take them. When the pact was broken, however, they began acting like their own village, but the head of the Taisho Clan is willing to officially join together with the Village Hidden in the Sand should anything happen to Kagome or Sesshoumaru.”

“So, they’re testing us,” a jounin snorted. “Why didn’t they just join the Village Hidden in the Sand when they left the Village Hidden in the Leaves? That would have made everything much easier, and the Higurashi Clan would probably still be alive!”

“True,” Lord Hokage nodded, “but if I recall, the Taisho Clan always had their independence. Once they left the Village Hidden in the Leaves, they probably felt the need to begin their own village, but it never became official in the end. From their point of view, it would probably seem wise to join a solid village now that the Higurashi Clan is gone. It might seem like they’re testing us, and they might be. If the Taisho Clan is testing us to see whether it is wise to return here, then we shall allow it.”

“What if they decide to return?”

“We will welcome them with open arms,” Lord Hokage said, nodding to himself. He watched as they nodded, understanding in the decision. After all, it would strengthen their village, especially when the Uchiha Clan was no longer with them.

Kakashi sat somewhere in the middle, amazingly having been on time in the eyes of others, listening as this was all brought out. However, now he wished to know what was going to happen to Higurashi Kagome. Would she be given another team, or would she be placed onto one that already had three members? It wasn’t exactly unheard of such a thing happening, but very rare. Sighing, he asked, “Lord Hokage, what will happen to Higurashi Kagome now that we have all this information? What will be done in order for her to participate in the chuunin exams?”

“Unfortunately there is not enough time for two genin to be selected; two that would benefit Kagome’s team based on their strengths and weaknesses, as all the members of the current teams do. There is also not enough time for them to train together, and become stronger. I believe that the head of the Taisho Clan saw this as well, which was why he merely sent her here, without a team. Because of this I have decided that it would be best to place her onto a team that has already been selected, and because of this I have been going through the current teams participating in the chuunin exams to find which one she would be best suited for,” Lord Hokage sighed. “This decision was hard, because of her strengths, and the fact that she has barely any weaknesses.” He stopped, wondering what his decision would lead to.

The jounin of the current teams going to participate in the chuunin exams sat tense, wondering which one of them would be allowed to have the Prodigy of the Higurashi Clan. Finally, after they all sat there, thinking this, Kurenai spoke up, “Which team will she be placed on, Lord Hokage?”

“The decision has been made that Higurashi Kagome will be placed onto Maito Gai’s squad, with Rock Lee, Hyuuga Neji, and TenTen,” Lord Hokage said. He listened to the uproar between the team leaders for a moment, only Kakashi and Gai remaining quiet during this. “Quiet,” he commanded. Once silence once more filled the room, he continued, “This was decided because of the strengths the squad has, and because they’re closer to age with each other. If these records are correct, Higurashi Kagome will be thirteen in a few days. The decision is final, and I shall speak with Kagome’s guardian about this as soon as possible.”

There were a few “buts”, even after he said this.

“There will be no further discussion on this matter,” he said. He turned his attention toward Maito Gai, “Gai, you are to find me Taisho Sesshoumaru and tell him that I wish to speak with him. Once he has left, I wish for you to tell your squad the news, and to allow Sesshoumaru to tell Kagome. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Lord Hokage,” Gai dipped his head in respect.

Lord Hokage closed his eyes, saying, “You’re dismissed.”

* * *

 

Kagome frowned, looking toward the sky as she listened to the sound of Naruto’s slurping. She wasn’t sure how many bowls of ramen he’d had already, but she was sure that it was over six. She’d only had one, deciding that she’d drink something later on, instead of making herself sick by eating so much. It seemed that Naruto was used to it, though. “Its getting dark,” she whispered to herself.

Sakura had left a while ago, saying that she had something she needed to do. She didn’t know why the girl glared at her, but when she’d told her goodbye she had. Sesshoumaru had left soon after her, Gai having come to tell him that Lord Hokage wanted to see him for something. Now, it was only her standing outside alone, since Sasuke and Naruto were inside. She was positive Naruto was probably going to eat her entire pocket book for that night, but Inuyasha did that often. She did, after all, carry quite a bit of money on her person, since she wasn’t afraid of hunting down pickpockets, nor was she scared of kicking their ass should they try.

She leaned against the building, wondering how she was going to find her way back to the apartment Sesshoumaru had rented for them. She’d never been in this part of the village, thus she was positive she’d either have to wait for her dear big brother, or have one of the boy’s inside take her home. Or, she could teleport herself to a familiar place, but she didn’t want to do that, since she didn’t know how far a familiar place was, or how much chakra it would take in order to teleport herself there.

However, her eyes turned toward the sky once more, taking in the stars she could see with the amount of lightning around. She wished that she was home, since there was light, but her clan had tried to use candles instead of electricity, and they’d tried to use things that needed a little more work, but still worked just as well. Of course, they had running water, and things like that, but she still missed them. Especially now that she couldn’t sit on her roof and look up at the billions of stars she could have seen from there. She could almost feel the wood of the head family’s roof, and felt almost like if she continued to stare she would be back there once more, laughing with her teammates and waiting for another mission to be assigned to them.

“You ok?”

Kagome jumped, turning to find Uchiha Sasuke staring at her. “Oh, yes.” She nodded, “I was merely thinking about things that I can remember, that’s all.”

Sasuke nodded in understanding. He turned his attention toward the sky, as he’d seen her do, before saying, “You know, you should really stop Naruto from eating any more. If he continues this way, the dobe will probably eat you out of house and home.”

She laughed. “Oh, its alright. Sesshoumaru’s younger half-brother, Inuyasha, is the same way. We have a ramen shop just outside the Higurashi District—well, we did have one,” she corrected herself, “that sold the best ramen one could buy. Inuyasha used to make me take him there once a week, and he’d eat twice was much as Naruto has probably eaten. Because the ramen was so good, it was a little more expensive then this place is, anyway.”

“Hm,” was his only reply.

She sighed, “I should probably stop him soon anyway. It’s beginning to get dark and I do need to find my way back to the apartment. Hm, maybe I’ll make him take me since he’s kept me for so long.” After that she laughed once more, a bright smile forming on her lips.

He didn’t like that at all. “I could take you,” he said.

Kagome blinked, “That’s very kind of you, Sasuke, but I wouldn’t want to seem like a burden. Besides, Naruto is the one who’s eating so much, not you.”

He frowned, “Its not a problem.”

She smiled, “Thank you, Sasuke.”

With that she turned and went inside to see the bowls in front of Naruto. She blinked, watching as he asked for another one. The manager looked at her, obviously knowing that she was paying and wondering if she was going to allow him to continue. She giggled, and nodded, sure that another bowl wouldn’t hurt the boy. A silly grin formed on her lips, a light daze beginning to take over the inside of her head. “Hehe, he eats more than Inuyasha,” she sweat dropped.

Sasuke smirked, “I told you the dobe would eat you out of house and home.”

Naruto seemed to have caught this. He turned toward them, noodles hanging from his lips and into his bowl of beef ramen as he glared at them both. “Wawuke-teme,” he muttered, though it sounded much different in his head. Slurping the noodles between his chopsticks into his mouth, he quickly went for more, continuing this until he tipped the bowl back and drank the rest. Once done, it set it onto his other bowls, and turned to them. “You’re still here, Sasuke-teme!” he asked in surprise.

Sasuke turned his head, “Loser.”

Naruto stiffened.

Kagome gave a nervous laugh, before saying, “Are you done now, Naruto?”

He blinked, wondering what she’d asked. However, he nodded, and watched as she sighed in relief. It was then he realized just how much he’d eaten and blushed. “Oh, I’m so sorry, Kagome. Usually Iruka-sensei cuts me off. I just thought that you’d do the same.”

Kagome shook her head, “Its alright, Naruto. Besides, you should eat until your full, but not enough so that you get sick. Inuyasha’s the same. Except we usually get into a big argument before he can eat this much, I hit him, I pay, and then he has to buy his own if he wants more.” She asked for the bill after that, and paid with the money she had, glad that she had brought so much. Next time she was going to make sure that Naruto ate at least four bowls less than the amount he’d eaten today. He might have been growing, but that much ramen had to be bad for him.

“So, what are you doing now, Kagome?” Naruto asked. He wasn’t used to getting this much attention from a person unless he pulled some type of prank on someone. It felt really nice, and he was starting to see this girl in a brand new light. Like she was suddenly a beacon of hope that one day everyone would treat him the same.

“Well,” Kagome said, “I’m going to go back to my apartment and wait for Sesshoumaru. However, I don’t know exactly where it is from here. I can find it from the bridge, and the gates, but I don’t think I’ve ever been this way without Sesshoumaru and a trusty map!”

Naruto shot his hand into the air, “Don’t worry, Kagome. Sasuke-teme and I will help you find it! Believe it!”

She smiled, glancing between them both. “Thanks.”

Without much hesitation both boy’s began walking, asking her for the address, if she could remember the surrounding area, and different things that could have already been answered by the first question. Well, mostly Naruto asked, though Sasuke did get a few words in. After twenty minutes, or so, though, Kagome found her way back with their help and thanked them once more.


	6. Don't Cross the Line

The next morning Kagome awoke, cleaned her body of dirt and grime, and dressed in an outfit given to her by her father. It was almost completely black for stealth, and to help her whenever she used the family’s shadow moves. It was really only a pair of black shorts that came down to her knees, dyed black bandaging that she wrapped around her legs and arms, standard black shinobi sandals, and a black, baggy, haori that was tucked into her shorts. The symbol of her clan, what looked to be a dripping orb could be found on the back, the only thing that was dark blue instead of black. She once again strapped the headband she was given by Lord Hokage around her left arm, making sure that it was tight enough to stay on, but not enough to cut off blood circulation.

Without much thought her fingers grazed over the symbol for the Village Hidden in the Leaves. She smiled sadly, wondering what it would have felt like to get a headband when she had finished her training at the Academy back home, instead of the simple red band that she’d gotten. It probably would have felt like a huge accomplishment, yet at the same time she knew that she had never been apart of a true village. They’d been a clan, a family, nothing more. Now, she was wearing the symbol for the Village Hidden in the Leaves, when about five years ago she would have been wearing the symbol to the Village Hidden in the Sand. Strange how so much could change within so little time.

Still, she missed hanging out with Rini and Kasumi, while their sensei, Kikyo, became irritated that they weren’t actually training when they were supposed to. The memory was a sweet one, and she reached for the drawer in front of her, opened it without even a sound, and reached for the upside down picture frame inside. She flipped it over to find the smiling faces of her team staring at her, Rini and her both with an arm around Kasumi’s back, while Kikyo was standing behind them with a proud look in her eyes. One of Kikyo’s hands was on Rini’s right shoulder, while her other was on Kagome’s left. Kasumi looked like he just wanted to get out of there before they decided to do something worse then simply half-hug him. Even with all of the emotions, though, she could still see the proud, bright looks in their eyes, all of them happy that they’d finally made it out of the Academy at the age of eleven. Especially since her free hand had been covering the red band that was around her arm, a smile plastered on her face, though she could see the darkness hidden well behind her eyes.

Kagome huffed, wanting to throw the picture somewhere when she began looking deeper into her eyes. She could see the hidden darkness there, the things that had caused her team to not only be frightened of the head family, but to respect her more than they should have. Yes, she had always had a usually high amount of chakra since she was young, but she deserved nothing from them. Especially when she hadn’t been there to save them.

A tear streaked down her face, as she moved her eyes over each and everyone of their faces, trying hard to avoid her own. They had been squad three that year, and very proud of it. _Squad three,_ she whispered to herself, _Higurashi Kasumi, Higurashi Rini, Higurashi Kagome, and their sensei, Higurashi Kikyo. What a team they were… since we were the only team assigned with two girls, instead of two boys…_ Another tear escaped like the first at the way she was thinking about her squad, and she bit her lip to stop herself from crying out in pain.

A knock on her door stopped everything all at once, as she turned her head in order to gaze at the back. She heard her big brother’s muffled voice as he asked if everything was alright, before she answered, “I’m fine, Sesshoumaru.” She quickly tucked the picture back into the drawer she’d gotten it from, knowing that after that Sesshoumaru would deem it safe to enter her room. Not like he couldn’t in the first place, she’d probably just slap him if she were changing.

Sesshoumaru stepped inside to find Kagome in the window, staring out across what she could see, but mostly into the forest. The forest was like their home, which was why he was slightly glad they’d been sent to the Hidden Leaf Village, instead of the Sand. Kagome would have hated being there. His father had truly thought of everything. “Tonight we will go to the training grounds and practice the summoning jutsu you were learning, Kagome. You’ve already signed the contract; you just have to be able to summon something that will help you in battle. Something other than a pup, that is.”

She smirked, “You don’t like wolf pups’, Sesshoumaru?”

“They’re annoying until they return to wince they came,” he replied.

“Only because they like you so much,” Kagome giggled. “Like the last one that continued to tug at your clothing, before managing to rip a huge hole in the back of your pants. That was hilarious. Except the fact that I had to see your underwear, but still funny.”

“Do you always find amusement at my expense?”

“You know it!” Kagome grinned. “So, what are we doing today, Sesshoumaru?” She looked back out the window, blinking as a bird flew down to the windowsill and sat there. It was nice to know that there were still things that weren’t frightened of the things she could do.

“We’re going to go find your new team. Lord Hokage has finally made the final decision and you shall be placed onto Gai’s team with Neji, Lee, and TenTen. Apparently he wanted to put you with a team with more experience and restraint because of the information he received. Father didn’t send very much concerning a few things, but that wasn’t surprising,” Sesshoumaru said, calmly. He knew that as soon as he was done, though, his little sister was staring at him, twitching.

“I see.” Kagome sighed, “I was hoping to be with Naruto. He’s very nice, even if he seems a bit brash. Kind of like a younger version of Inuyasha, only cuter. Oh well, I guess. Neji’s nice, though he doesn’t seem to say much.” She tilted her head to stare at the ceiling; “At least I won’t have Sakura glaring at me anymore. She was doing that, you know. I have no idea why, but as soon as Sasuke sat down next to me at Ichiraku Ramen she began sending me dirty looks. At least no one at our home glares at me.”

“Many girls glare at you, Kagome,” Sesshoumaru sighed. How to explain to Kagome that she unknowingly took up the attention of almost every boy around her. That even the most intelligent couldn’t seem to stray from the light she radiated. _Perhaps another time…? Yes, that sounds perfect,_ he thought, completely chickening out. “At home no one would dare because of who you are and the fact that you’ve mastered all but one Kekkei Genkai the head family had.”

“…Causes a lot of problems, too,” she mumbled.

“That it does,” he said, having caught it. “Now come, I suspect that we do not wish to miss Gai’s _wonderful_ speech on youth this morning. He said to be there before six, and I expect he wants us to be on time. He seems like the running type; perhaps you will have to run around the villages perimeter a few times.”

“Ah… Sesshoumaru!” she whined, “I hate running! Besides, don’t I get breakfast first?”

“You would have, if you hadn’t stayed in here so long. I do not understand why you had to spend forty minutes getting ready, nor do I understand why any woman has to. However, the food is gone, Inuyasha made short work of it,” he scowled.

Kagome brightened, “Inuyasha is here?”

“Unfortunately for us, yes.” Sesshoumaru turned, “Now come, we do not wish to waste anymore time. We’ll be late if we stay any longer than we already have.”

She nodded. On the inside she was cheering, though, because Inuyasha was there! He was a little harder to handle, but at least he wasn’t as cold as Sesshoumaru seemed. Maybe she could drag him along as well.

* * *

 

Gai continued, speaking about how youth was very important to people and how there early rising was a wonderful way to show that they were youthful. It was something he made sure was engraved into their brains, since they would need the knowledge in the future. He knew what most of their reactions were to his speech, but as long as even one of them was listening he was happy. However, his speech soon came to an end when he heard shouting from beyond the trees around them, mostly from a rough voice and that of Kagome’s.

Rock Lee listened completely, tears welling in his eyes as he nodded at his sensei. TenTen sighed from time to time, knowing that this was the way it was and there wasn’t any getting around it. Neji simply ignored them, waiting for their new teammate, since Gai-sensei had insisted they wait for her and greet her properly. When the sound of voices came to their ears, though, they each turned toward the sound, waiting patiently for the new arrival.

“Why you stubborn brat! How dare you talk to me that way?”

“Yeah, like you have room to talk, dog-face!” came Kagome’s voice. She sounded like she was angry, but anyone could have been able to tell that she was happy to be speaking with the person she was shouting with. The male sounded almost the same, but slightly irritated.

“You little bitch!” came the male. “Why did I have to get dragged into this anyway? Sesshoumaru-teme, couldn’t you have stopped this stupid little wench from dragging me out here? I’m supposed to be reporting to father, but no, I get to baby-sit along with you today! What’s up with that!?” Apparently he’d gone from yelling with Kagome to yelling at her bodyguard.

“Hey, I’m over here, idiot!” Kagome huffed. “Its not Sesshoumaru’s fault that you willingly allowed yourself to be baited into my trap! You’re _so_ predictable, Inuyasha.”

“You wanna see predictable? Huh! Answer me you stupid little bitch!”

“Oh, shut up, Inuyasha. No one wants to hear it,” Kagome replied.

Next came Sesshoumaru’s voice, adding, “She is correct, Inuyasha. No one wishes to hear your insolent whining this early in the morning. Could you please manage to close your gapping mouth for a few minutes at a time?”

“BASTARD! How dare you side with the bitch!” Inuyasha screamed, suddenly giving off a vicious growl afterward.

“Inuyasha, you’re crossing the line!”

“Tch, you crossed the line a long time ago, wench,” he snarled.

“Feh.”

“Hey!” he shouted. “You can’t do that!”

“Oh, why not?” Kagome questioned.

“Because, only I can do that.” Inuyasha seemed to hate the fact that she’d just made a simple sound, thus demanding that she didn’t do it again. However, like usual Kagome managed to get around his little words and come up with something that he hadn’t thought of.

They stepped into the clearing as Kagome snorted. “Well, I didn’t hear your name attached to it.”

“She has a point, little brother,” Sesshoumaru smirked.

The male the team pinpointed as Inuyasha suddenly slammed his fist over Kagome’s head, causing the kunoichi to hiss in pain. He glowered at her for a moment before turning away, his arms crossed as he mumbled about why he didn’t need to be there. “Why did I get stuck comin’ here, anyway? Why couldn’t Rin do it? She’d perfectly capable of sending a stupid message to someone. Stupid brat.”

Within moments Sesshoumaru had knocked Inuyasha to the ground, snarling, “Do not speak of Rin in such a way you despicable whelp. She did, after all, defeat you within the last sparring match you demanded from her when she commented on your disgusting eating habits. She is your sister—”

“HALF-sister, bastard!”

“—and you should be grateful that she considers you apart of her family. If father did not demand that I treated you like _family_ , then I would have killed you a long time ago,” he finished, glaring darkly at him.

Gai blinked, before raising his fists, “Aw, what youth!”

Lee nodded, “Yes, yes, Gai-sensei!”

Inuyasha turned to them like they were nuts, but before he could say anything his mouth was covered by Kagome’s hand. He glared at her, wondering if his father would hurt him if he took off one of her fingers. He decided against the idea, though, since he’d probably end up with the same finger gone soon after he’d done it.

“Inuyasha don’t be so rude,” Kagome scoffed. “This is my team for the chuunin exams.” She removed her hand gently, and patted him on the head.

“Quite treating me like a dog you… Ow, what the fuck was that for, Sesshoumaru?” he whined, rubbing the new bump on his head.

“Stop calling Miss Higurashi—”

“ _Kagome_ ,” Kagome growled.

“—Yes, Kagome, that degrading name, Inuyasha. If anyone here is a ‘bitch’, as you so put it, it is you,” Sesshoumaru said. He crossed his arms, deciding that glaring at Kagome’s new team would be for the best at this moment. His eyes caught that of the Hyuuga’s, who had continued to stare at Kagome since she’d gotten there. He was tired of that boy staring like Kagome was some prize to suddenly be won, but many boys’ stared at her like that. He could not stop them all.

“Like hell I am!” Inuyasha kicked his feet in the dirt in front of him, a light pink beginning to form on his cheeks. Sesshoumaru was such an ass. It really was a drag that his father had ordered him to stay for a week at least to see what progress Kagome was making before returning with the full report on his mission. He hated reports. He hated writing them, and he hated even thinking about them. They were a complete and total waste of his time.

He eyed each of the members, his eyes narrowing when he noticed the pupil-less stare of the Hyuuga. Instantly he did not like him, he wanted to step in front of Kagome and keep her from his gaze. However, he went with lifting his lip and showing off the fang that came from being apart of his clan. The Hyuuga, even if he noticed it, merely blinked, possibly raised an eyebrow, but he wasn’t sure at the moment. Still, an uneasy feeling rose in the back of his throat, and he wanted nothing more than to grab Kagome and race away from there as fast as he could. “I don’t see why you need another team anyways. You could easily pass this stupid exam without them.”

“A team is required, Inuyasha.” Sesshoumaru stated this, his eyes watching as the Hyuuga finally turned to stare into his eyes. He narrowed his, wanting to growl for some odd reason, especially when he felt Kagome would become attached to someone there. It was unnerving to know that his little sister was growing up so fast. He hoped he wasn’t this way when Rin became a little older and started looking at boys’ more than she already did.

That was when Lee moved over to Kagome, giving her his winning smile that glinted in the sun. “It is a pleasure to have you on our team, Miss Higurashi. Your youth will surely push us forward until the very end! We shall pass the chuunin exams with ease, each and every one of us!”

TenTen smiled, “Yes, it will be fun to have someone besides Neji and Lee to spar with.”

Lee nodded in agreement. “Yes, yes! We should spar, Miss Higurashi! My Taijutsu skills are sure to surprise even you!”

Kagome giggled, “I’m sure they would, Lee.” She smiled when he gave her a thumbs-up, his smile once more in place. This would be something she was sure she’d never forget, no matter how much she wished it were her original team she was participating with.

Neji stepped forward, but before he could say anything Lee had jumped in front of him. He sighed, glared at the back of his teammate and wondered why he felt anger at the fact that Lee was taking all of Kagome’s attention. Surely there was some explanation for this sudden feeling after he’d felt so light the night before when he heard she was being placed onto their team.

“Neji, my rival! First I must spar with you!” Lee stated. “I will surely defeat you this time!”

Kagome turned to TenTen, “What does he mean ‘this time’?”

TenTen smiled, “Neji’s a genius. Lee’s a great Taijutsu user, but I don’t think he’ll ever be able to defeat Neji. Its wonderful to see him keep trying, though. To see him always proving that he is getting better each day, and to see him always stick with his ninja way.”

Neji felt the need to roll his eyes, but instead turned his head to Kagome, bowing it in greeting. He watched as she returned the jester, and nodded in mild happiness at the fact that she’d acknowledge him. If he had been Lee, though, he would have been bouncing off the trees, shouting about how he’d always protect her until his final breath… He stopped when he went to step forward, thinking to himself, _but I am not Lee. I would not be caught dead doing something like that… especially with someone I met only a few days ago._

* * *

 

Inner Sakura cheered, jumping up and down when she heard that Kagome would no longer be with them. _Yes, that means that stupid bitch won’t be around to gain Sasuke’s attention anymore! I can finally win back his heart and completely erase that stupid Kagome’s memory from him! Cha!_ Sakura on the outside, though, merely smirked a little. She’d known all along that Kagome would probably be placed on a team with more experienced shinobi. True, she almost felt like she was downgrading her own team, but it was the truth.

Naruto slumped, “Ah… but Kakashi-sensei!”

Kakashi merely flipped another page in his book. He knew how Naruto felt, but there was no helping it. It was the word of the Hokage and there was nothing he could do to change it. “It was Lord Hokage’s final decision, Naruto. If you have any complaints take them up with him.”

His hand clenched into a fist, only Kakashi-sensei noticing the change in his attitude. He felt his heartbeat speed up at the thought of that stupid Hyuuga Neji near Kagome for so long. Without her on his team he couldn’t watch her, he couldn’t do anything except try and catch her when she wasn’t with her new _team_. He wasn’t a fool, he’d seen the looks that stupid Hyuuga had been giving Kagome and he didn’t like it one bit. He wanted to go kick the Hokage’s ass for making that decision, since she should have been with _him_.

He stopped himself there, wondering what the hell was wrong with him. It felt like something inside of him was pulling him toward her, trying to make him fall into her evil trap. Never had he felt this way, hot and cold at the same time whenever she came into his line of sight. Hell, he’d wanted to follow her—no, not _stalk_ her—that morning, but knew that he should do as Kakashi-sensei had told him and go to the meeting spot. It was amazing that Kakashi-sensei was only an hour late; compared to the other times they had to wait for him. Still, that didn’t change the fact that he didn’t understand what was happening to him, and that was infuriating.

He should be thinking about killing Itachi, not some girl that had only showed up a few days ago. But, damn it, he couldn’t deny the fact that her bright smile seemed to draw him in with some weird force that he couldn’t control. A couple of times, when she’d spoken to him, he’d felt his heart pick up the pace, going into overdrive. And, worst of all, he’d felt his cheeks heat up just a little whenever she allowed his name to fall from his lips. He cursed his body for such a reaction, but he couldn’t deny that he did like his name falling from her lips—so soft, they looked, so edible.

Sasuke nearly shook himself forcefully to get that thought of his head before he turned bright crimson in the face. He didn’t know what this girl was doing to him, but he didn’t like the fact that she was doing it to others, too. Her attention should be his, his head screamed, while his heart twisted at the fact that her bright smiles were now going to be directed at that stupid Hyuuga. She should be falling at his feet when he gave his infamous smirk, like all of his fan girls, and then he was sure that she wouldn’t cause this reaction from him. He had a serious doubt that she, a _serious_ kunoichi, would lower herself to melting at his feet when he smirked at her, though—even if the thought was very _desirable_ at the moment.

Even worst, he imagined that underneath her sweet exterior was a vicious vixen waiting to sink her fangs into his neck, and it _excited_ him to think about it.

Yes, something was definitely wrong with him.


End file.
